Electric vs. Manual Brush

Choosing Oral Hygiene Products

There are so many products on the market , it can become confusing. Choosing between all the products can be difficult. Below are some suggestions for choosing dental care that will work for most patients.

Automatic and “high-tech” electronic toothbrushes are safe and effective for the majority of patients. Oral irrigators (water spraying devices) will rinse your mouth thoroughly, but will not remove plaque. You need to brush and floss in conjunction with the irrigator. We see excellent results with electric toothbrushes and highly recommend the Oral B Triumph electric brush. We retail this brush to our patients at a reduced cost.

Some manual toothbrushes have a rubber tip on the handle. This is used to massage the gums after brushing. There are also tiny brushes (inter proximal toothbrushes) that clean between your teeth. If these are used improperly you could injure the gums, so discuss proper use with your doctor.

Fluoride toothpastes and mouth rinses if used in conjunction with brushing and flossing can reduce tooth decay as much as 40%. Remember, these rinses are not recommended for children under six years of age. Tartar control toothpaste will reduce tartar above the gum line, but gum disease starts below the gum line so these products have not been proven to reduce the early stage of gum disease.